Button fastenings



Sept. 20', 1960 E. DANNHEIM 2,952,887

BUTTON FASTENINGS Filed May 13, 1958 fm/entar:

Eberhard Dqnnheim by United States PatentO P BUTTON FASTENINGS EberhardDannheim, Hagenan 12, Hamburg, Germany Filed May 13, 1958, Ser. No.735,002

'5 Claims. (Cl. 24-104) This invention relates to button fastenings ofthe type in which one of two members, respectively adapted forattachment to the parts -to be connected, is formed with a convexsurface having a slot widened at both ends for optional engagement witha headed stem on the other member.

In some known fastenings of the type aforesaid the accidentaldisengagement of the headed stem from the slot is resisted by springmeans, but such an arrangement is liable to jamming and it is often hardto separate the two members without damaging the same.

Another known form of fastening is made without the spring meansabove-mentioned, the slot in this case being of keyhole shape so thatthe two members can only be separated by returning the headed stem toits point of insertion into such slot, `and the securing or release ofthis form of fastening consequently requires a backward movement of theleft hand which most people nd difcult.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved buttonfastening of the type referred to which, whilst simple to engage anddisengage, will nevertheless provide a secure connection of theassociated garment parts without the use of spring means for locatingthe headed stem in the slotted member.

According to this invention the improved button fastening ischaracterised in that the enlargements at the end of the slot are ofditerent widths, the wider permitting introduction and the narrowerpermitting withdrawal of the stem head, which latter is guided in agrooved filling piece within the convex slotted member and requires tobe tilted in a relatively deep end portion of such lgroove before it canbe withdrawn through the narrower end of the slot above such recess.

The male and female members are disposed in relatively oiset positionswhen mutually engaged and under strain in a direction longitudinal tothe slot.

In a convenient arrangement, the filling piece is adhesively Secured tothe underside of the convex member, which latter is formed at oppositesides of its slot with locating projections engaging recesses in thefilling piece. Alternatively the latter may be formed integrally withthe slotted member, the groove in either case preferably being curved inconformity with the slot as seen in side elevation.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the slotted or female member of the improvedbutton fastening,

Fig. 2 is a plan View `of the headed or male member coacting therewith,

Fig. 3 is a section on the line A-A of Fig. l, indicating the engagedposition of the male member,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of such male member,

Fig. 5 is a section on the line BB of Fig. l, showing different engagedpositions of the male member,

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the male member in the act ofseparation from the slot.

In the example illustrated, the female member has a 2,952,887 PatentedSept. 20, 1960 ice central domed portion 1 surrounded by a at circularilange 2 in which holes 3 are provided to permit such member to be sewn-to a garment. A diametral slot 4 in the domed part has an enlargement 5at one end to admit the male member of the fastening and an enlarge?ment 6 at the other end through which such member can be withdrawn.Adjacent these two enlargements the flange 2 is widened to form lugs 7,8 which respectively facilitate the engagement and disengagement of themale member with the slot 4 inasmuch as they pro.- vide a convenientfingergrip during such operations.

The male member of the fastening has a base portion 9, provided withholes 10 for sewing it into position, a central stem 11, and a flatcircular head 12 on the latter.

Within the domed part 1 of the female member is arranged a lling piece13 with a transverse groove 14 which is 4deep enough to accommodate thehead 12 of the male member when the stem 11 of the latter is enteredinto the slot 4 by way of the enlargement 5 thereof. The filling piece13, which may be adhesively secured within the domed part 1, is formedat opposite sides of its groove 14, with recesses 15, 151 engaged bylocating projections 16, 161 on the domes underside.

It will be seen from Fig. 5 that, as viewed in side elevation, thegroove 14 has `a convex formation corresponding to that of the dome 1,one end of such groove, however, being stepped down to provide arelatively deep recess 17 directly beneath the withdrawal enlargement 6of the slot 4. The relative positions and dimensions of .the recess 17and enlargement 6 are such that the head 12 cannot pass through theenlargement 6 when its associated stem 11 is substantially perpendicularto the base of the female member, separation of the two members in thismanner being only possible when the general plane of the at head 12 isconsiderably inclined to such base as shown in Fig. 6.

The headed stem 11 is thus arranged to enter and leave the slot 4 atopposite ends of the latter, so that the securing and release of thefastening is effected by a natural uni-directional movement of the usershand.

The form of the slot 4 tends to result in the interengaged male andfemale members assuming a staggered relation when under strain (as fromthe natural pull of the associated garment parts) in a directionlongitudinal to the slot.

The pull applied to the fastening as aforesaid tends to tilt the malemember relatively to the base of the female member; i.e. in a directionopposite to that in which the stem 11 requires to be tilted to permitpassage of its head 12. through the slot enlargement 6, so thataccidental release of the fastening is effectively prevented.

Furthermore the pull applied to the fastening members as aforesaid tendsto bring the base portion 9 of the male lmember adjacent the lug 8,thereby ensuring close contact between the connected edges of thegarment and resulting in the fastening being completely concealed.

I claim:

1. A button fastening of the type referred to, comprising a domed shellconstituting a female member having a flange, there being means in saidange for fastening said shell to a garment, said shell having adiametric slot therein, the ends of said slot being enlarged, a llingpiece united to said shell, said filling piece having a convex grooveadjacent and parallel to said slot, said groove having a deep recess inone end thereof adjacent to one of said enlarged ends of said slot, amale member having a base, there being means in said base -for fasteningsaid male member to a garment, a stem extending from said base, a headon the end of said stem, said head being adapted to engage in said slot,whereby said head isg11ided in said grooved filling piece within thedomed shell and requires to be tilted `in the relatively deep end recessof such groove before it can be Withdrawn through oneof said ends of theslot above such recess.

2. A button fastening according to claim 1,'fu1fther characterised inthat the male and female members are disposed in relatively oifsetpositions when Vmutually engaged and under strain in a directionlongitudinal to the slot. i 3. A button fastening according .to claim 1,further characterised in that the lling piece is adhesively se- 'curedto the underside of the domed shell which latter is formed at oppositesides of its slot with locating projections engaging recesses in thelling piece.

4. A button fastening according to claim 1, further characterised inthat in sideV elevation the said groove in the lling piece is curved inconformity with the slot of the female member.

5. A button fastening according to claim 1, further characterised inthat the domed shell has relatively wide lugs adjacent opposite ends ofthe slot.

References Cited in the ijle of this patent UNITED STATESr PATENTS259,298 EhmanV June 13, 1882 1,851,730 Rutherford Mar. 29, 1932 FOREIGNPATENTS 27,500 Great Britain 1897

